RIDIN' WITH RAINBOWS

Dear Diary... a glimpse into the pages of a journal written by a woman rider.

Saturday,
March 26, 2011

Dear Diary,

One of my favorite reasons for riding a motorcycle is when I have the good fortune to experience... a special moment. You know, those moments that only occur when you happen to be in the right place at the right time. A moment when the only evidence of it's existence lingers in the scrapbook of your mind. A moment that usually never happens to you when your driving in your car.

We were riding back from Sylacauga this afternoon, trying to make it home before some terrible weather caught us. H was watching the sky as we were splitting a pair of ferocious storms moving along on either side of us. One minute we were heading south, the next thing I know, we change direction and go west for a few miles. Just when I think we're going to get wet, I see his blinker come on and we're turning south again. The asphalt was wet everywhere we turned, including some golf ball size hail in some places, but sparingly, we weren't getting drop on us.

As we rounded a long sweeping bend and cleared a large patch of trees, I noticed H raise his left arm and point. I looked up in the direction he was pointing and there it was... big and breathtaking... the widest most brilliant rainbow I've ever seen, laid across the stormy sky. In spite of all the darkness around us, the sun was slicing through the clouds, creating a natural spotlight on the highway as if it were trying to lead us in the direction of safety. Where the two elements merged together, the unmistakable colors of orange, yellow, green and pink formed a flawless arch as it went from one side of my panoramic view to the other.

I tried in vain to keep my eyes on the road, but I couldn't help but gaze over to my left as much as my lingering senses would allow. As I continued to process the beauty I was seeing, another rainbow came into view. It was a softer less vibrant mirror reflection of the first and positioned right above it. Twins! I was definitely looking at twin, full arch rainbows!

I wanted to capture this, but there was no safe place for us to pull off. It was in that instant when I realized I was experiencing one of my cherished moments. I seem to get more and more of them lately, and I'm usually riding my Glide when they happen. I could feel my smile widen as my senses went on overload with the smell of newly fallen rain, freshly mowed hay, and looking a palate of color that only God could make.

For the next several miles I pondered many things but mostly, how blessed I really am... to be ridin' with rainbows.

Me